Salve Regina Grinds Out 3-1 Win over Wellesley Volleyball

WELLESLEY, Mass. - Salve Regina snuffed out a possible comeback effort from Wellesley College volleyball to win 3-1, (25-19, 25-21, 18-25, 25-20) on Thursday at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse.

First year Mackenzie Lee (Lithia, Fla.) led the Seahawks (13-8) with 16 kills and senior Kate Murphy (Dover, N.H.) had 22 digs for Salve Regina. The Blue (7-15) were led by first year Kaija Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) with a single-game high 32 digs while sophomores Mia Maxwell (Arlington, Mass.) and Rachel Xu (Beijing, China) each had double-digit kills for Wellesley.

The first set was even at 11-11 before Salve Regina graduate student Madison Lee (Dover Fla.) had multiple kills on a 5-0 Seahawks run. Wellesley couldn't got the set back within five, dropping a 25-19 set.

The Blue took advantage of errors and ran out to an early 7-2 lead in the second. The Seahawks regrouped winning the next five points, later widening their lead to five at 17-12 on a kill from senior Meaghan Corkery (Saunderstown, R.I.). While the Blue trimmed the lead to two at 18-16, consistent play from Salve Regina helped the Seahawks take a 25-21 set.

The Blue launched an offensive campaign in the third, leading 10-2 on a run that included multiple kills from Xu and Maxwell. The Seahawks tied the game back up at 15-15 before Wellesley went on a nine point run, and secured a 25-18 third set.

Despite leading as late as 15-12, the Blue were unable to maintain a lead over the Seahawks in the fourth set, with the latter taking a lead at 16-15 on a kill by Madison Lee. The Blue cut the lead to one at 20-19 on a kill from first year Kennedy Mayo (Long Branch, N.J.). However, the Seahawks won five of the final six points, ending the match on a kill from first year Lauren Hoyle (Albany, N.Y.).

The Blue return next Tuesday when they host Clark in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play at 7:00 PM. The Seahawks travel to Gordon for a 7:00 PM game on Friday.